This invention relates to a hand-operated actuator for bicycle caliper-type brakes or the like, and more particularly relates to such an actuator which may be operated by one hand and which effects braking action on both the front and rear caliper brakes of a bicycle or the like.
Hand actuated brakes for bicycles are, of course, well known. Typically, such braking systems include a caliper mounted on the frame of a bicycle and having brake pads movable toward one another for gripping the rim of a bicycle wheel for applying braking force on the wheel. The caliper is typically actuated by a respective pivoted handle mounted on the handle bars of the bicycle with the brake handle being interconnected to the caliper via a Bowden sliding cable linkage or the like. A spring on the caliper biases the pads towards a released position in which they are clear of their respective wheel rim. Typically, a bicycle is provided with two such brake actuating handles, one for the front wheel caliper and one for the rear wheel caliper.
With prior hand actuated caliper-type brakes, several problems have heretofore been encountered. For example, if the front brake is applied first or if it is applied too hard, the front wheel may tend to lock up and to thus cause the rider to fall. If, on the other hand, the back brake is applied too hard, the rear of the bicycle may tend to slide. Also, the provision of two brake handles requires the rider to have both his hands free to operate the brakes, requires timing between application of the brake handles, and also requires the rider to proportionally apply braking forces on the front and rear wheels. This is sometimes difficult to do when carrying packages or shifting gear speeds on the bicycle.
References may be made to such U.S. Pat. Nos. as 2,829,534 and 3,861,234 which disclose various brake levers for bicycles in the same general field as the present invention.
Among the several objects and features of this invention may be noted the provision of a hand-actuated mechanism for caliper-type bicycle brakes or the like in which only one hand is required to actuate the brakes on both the front and rear wheels of the bicycle;
The provision of such an actuating mechanism which decreases the possibility of locking up either the front or rear wheel of the bicycle upon application of the brakes;
The provision of such an actuating mechanism in which the front and rear braking action of the bicycle is applied in a predetermined proportional relation;
The provision of such an actuating mechaninsm which can be readily installed on the handle bars of a bicycle for operation of the brakes by either the right or left hand of the rider;
The provision of such an actuating mechanism in which either the front or rear wheel of the bicycle may be selected to apply the majority of the stopping of the bicycle;
The provision of such an actuating mechanism which includes power assist means for aiding the rider in application of the brakes thereby to decrease the force required to actuate the brakes; and
The provision of such an actuating mechanism which may be readily and economically fabricated, which is rugged construction, which is reliable in operation, and which may be readily adapted for use in many different applications.
Other objects and features of this invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.